Judicial Activism - an undeniable 'evil' within the system

Kolkata, May 12 (UNI) Former Chief Justice of India Justice A M Ahmadi today said 'over activism' on the part of the Judiciary existed, but the root cause must be extracted and the blame must be shared by all concerned parties.

Justice Ahmadi stressed on the need for all ''concerned members'' to take the blame for the situation. Stating that it was the ''inefficiency'' of the legislature and the executive that forced the judiciary to take up litigations brought up by the public, he asked the other panelists whether it was possible for judiciary to turn back after coming so far after being forced to become ''active'', when the other organs had failed.

''The concept of PIL was introduced in the 1970s to essentially help people who have socio-economic constraints to approach the court and vindicate their grievances,'' he added.

Speaking at the panel discussion jointly organised by the West Bengal Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Prabha Khaitan Foundation here at the State Assembly, Congress party spokesperson Dr Abhishekh Manu Singhvi and BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar discussed at length on the instances when the judiciary has time and again ''assumed supreme power'' in cases where they ''need not have done so''.

The discussion was presided over by West Bengal Legislative Assembly sepaekr H A Halim.

UNI